WTF is Twitter?
Twitter users are the gatekeepers
to the rest of the Internet
Out of all the digital tools that have sprung up in the last 15 years, Twitter is perhaps the one that is most hated by business owners. Saddled with a ridiculous name and adored by the hipster technorati, the idea of having to “tweet” fills most busy executives with horror. However…
Twitter users are more likely to impact your brand than any other network.
Twitter users are more likely to impact your brand than any other network.
Twitter is Marketing
Conceptually Twitter is no different than traditional marketing channels; you have a message that you want to put in front of potential clients so that they know you exist, are impressed with your offer and remember you when the time comes to purchase a product or service. The difference is the mechanism in which your message reaches potential clients
Twitter is Word of Mouth Marketing
A billboard on the freeway and a Google ad act in pretty much the same way; a static message is shown to hundreds of thousands of eyeballs. Through Twitter your message can also reach hundreds of thousands of eyeballs but it has to be passed on from one person to another, with each person making a value judgment on the validity of your message.
Why does this work?
The number one thing that makes a Twitter user feel good is to have one of their Tweets “re-Tweeted.” This is where another Twitter user takes the time to read a Tweet and consider it relevant or interesting enough to share with their followers.
If a Twitter user develops a reputation for sharing good information they gain more followers, likewise, if they rehash crap they lose followers
Twitter is your access to the outside world
If you want your message to get out to the internet, Twitter’s 250 million users are the gatekeepers:
- 72% publish blog posts at least once a month
- 70% comment on others’ blog posts
- 61% write at least one product review a month
- 61% comment on news sites
- 56% write articles for third-party sites
- 53% post videos online
- 48% share deals found through coupon forums
You only get what you give
I know – you want a quick solution that you can plug in to your existing operations and forget about – everyone does. The reality is that unless you invest a little time in the network, no matter how compelling the content, chances are it won’t be found and shared.
Twitter isn’t about Twitter – it is about people, it is about getting those people to share your message with potential clients. Treat the relationship as a one way street and people will stop listening to you, invest a little time to build a network and you dramatically enhance the chances of your message being shared.